Two new FIFA Arena mini-pitches have opened in the West Bank, giving children and local communities in Marah Rabah and Qusin a dedicated place to play football, exercise and come together.
The new facilities, developed by FIFA in partnership with the Palestine Football Association and co-financed by FIFA and the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, are now open for community use.
The opening comes at a difficult time for communities across the West Bank, where restrictions have disrupted everyday life and limited access to schools, services, sport and other activities.
The two pitches are intended to provide something practical for local children: a safe and accessible space where they can play football, meet friends and take part in organised sport.
More than 150 children from 14 local Palestinian teams are taking part in the Unite for Peace: Kids’ Cup, which is being held across the two new facilities.
The five-day tournament features group-stage matches followed by quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final, alongside additional football activities for children and members of the surrounding communities.
The tournament is being held as part of FIFA’s Unite for Peace campaign, with the initiative promoting friendship, inclusion, teamwork, mutual respect and fair play through football.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the long-term value of the facilities would be measured by what happens on the pitches every day.
“For children living in communities where life is often disrupted by restrictions and uncertainty, having a place where they can play football, meet their friends and take part in organised sport matters more than ever.”
The Unite for Peace: Kids’ Cup will conclude on 25 September, when the final and awards ceremony will take place alongside the formal inauguration of both FIFA Arenas.
One of the new facilities is located in the Thaher Al Thour area, opposite Marah Rabah’s girls’ high school, while the second is situated in the north-western part of Qusin village, next to the main road connecting Qusin and Deir Sharaf.
Rather than simply being ceremonial projects, both pitches are designed to become permanent community football facilities, supported by football equipment to help ensure they continue to be used after the tournament.
The projects form part of FIFA’s wider FIFA Arena Programme, which aims to create safe, durable and accessible football spaces in communities around the world.
For the children taking part in the tournament, however, the significance is much more immediate: two new pitches, a chance to play, and somewhere to come together through football.
SNN Sports will continue to highlight stories from across the football world where the game is making an impact beyond the pitch.